A Sea of Lanterns: Spring Nights at Samgwangsa Temple

Tucked into the hills of Busan, Samgwangsa Temple (삼광사) becomes a glowing beacon each spring. While it is peaceful year-round, the temple transforms into a magical display during the annual lantern festival in May celebrating Buddha's birthday.

As dusk falls, over 40,000 lanterns flicker to life, blanketing the temple in an array of colors. As you come closer to the temple grounds, the lanterns light up the sky like a beacon in the night. The lanterns stretch across, creating a canopy of red, pink, yellow, green, and blue. Seeing the lanterns cast a soft reflection off the stone paths and temple roofs makes it feel like a peaceful, but beautiful dream. Each lantern is numbered and carries a wish or prayer, adding significance beneath the beauty.

South Korea holds a Lotus Lantern Festival (연등축제) every year in May with parades and decorations; temples around the country decorate and light up with colorful lanterns. When you visit Samgwangsa Temple, you aren't just watching, you are immersed in the general splendor of the calm, colorful atmosphere the temple exudes.

If you want to visit Samgwangsa Temple in Busan to see the lanterns, come in May. No ticket needed to enter. (P.S.~ I visited the temple at night while it was raining. The reflections from the lanterns off the water from the ground made the display so much more magical. As glorious as it was, though I would not recommend going while it's raining.^_^)